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Running back Madre London, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas) - 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
Ratings: 247 sports (3 stars) Rivals (3 stars), Scout (3 stars), ESPN (3 stars)
Other notable offers: Nebraska, Wisconsin, Pitt, Florida State
MSU has its second running back of the class of 2014, and it's commit No. 17.
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas running back Madre London commits to MSU on Fox Sports Florida. Over Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois
— Joe Rexrode (@joerexrode) November 4, 2013
Officially committed to the University of Michigan State!!!!
— Madre London (@madrelondon) November 4, 2013
Now, the first thing that jumps out is why would a Florida running back have so many northern schools on his final list? He explained to Fox Sports Florida. (Notice in the video that he put on a winter hat.)
"The Big Ten in general is just a crazy place, a crazy, a crazy conference to be in, a good fan base and good academics and they run the ball a lot, so I felt that would be a good fit for me, in the Big Ten."
…
"I was a big fan of the SEC, but I just fell in love with the Big Ten. As far as Big Ten and SEC, they are similar conferences. They run the ball a lot, powerhouse conferences. I felt like the Big Ten had the academics over the SEC, and that's what I'm looking for, somewhere I can get a diploma and go anywhere and the world get a job from my diploma and I felt like the Big Ten was that place.
…
"Just very proud to be a part of that program. Good coaching staff. After they put a whooping on Michigan (Saturday), it didn't change my mind one bit. They run the ball a lot. I can play as a freshman and I like the coaching staff and the people that are around that community."
Sounds like a kid with a good head on his shoulders.
As for his tape, if there's one word I would use, it's smooth. Now, it helps that he plays on a powerhouse team and always has big holes to run through, but he's a really smooth runner with a good mix of speed, size and power. He breaks arm tackles easily, outruns defensive backs and has good hands. Overall, this looks like a really good pickup for MSU.
This also looks like the last running back in the 2014 class, joining big back Gerald Owens. MSU reportedly had more than 200 visitors for the Michigan game, and the game itself surely helped with recruiting future classes.
Below are highlights.